He pauses as if he is reflecting, remembering.
“Old,” he says.
I think I know his secret. I think I know why he was down at the river and why he really asked me to come over. Only what he thought was going to happen didn’t happen because I had just fed and because I felt sorry for him. Because he was blind there was no way for him to see that I had just fed and he certainly could never have anticipated a vampire to feel sorry for a human, any human. I don’t know how he knew I was a vampire, but he knew.
“The man that owns this house is not my son. He is my great, great, great grandson. I get passed on to each new grandson as my sons are all long dead,” he tells me.
I smile. He was a very smart Indian.
“You used us,” I say.
He smiles. “I gave as well in the bargain.”
“That’s true,” I say. “How do you explain your age to your grandsons?”
“That I was a great medicine man and have great medicine. We are superstitious people still. They pass me along to a new grandson. They tell the new grandson my medicine will pass to them, so they let me live with them. Eventually, they don’t see any medicine pass to them-- but I’m not much of a burden and they don’t want to bring any bad medicine to themselves. So they let me stay until they get old and they must pass me to another,” he tells me.
“How do you remember? You’re not supposed to remember,” I ask.
“I don’t know. Vampire saliva or whatever is in it did not have those effects on me. But the protections-- I did get those. And then… I kept living and living. It’s a mystery,” he says.
“Did it… does it… you know, hurt?” I ask.
“Not the fangs so much. They are so sharp, they go in easily. Sometimes the strike hurts if you have the wrong kind of vampire. (he means like the Tremaine’s) The manipulation of the vein in the incisors can hurt. The heart does all the work for you as far as pumping the blood right into your mouths and of course it depends on the vampire and how hungry they are,” he tells me.
“I don’t know if I could let something feed on me,” I say. I was being truthful. I wouldn’t like it.
He smiles. “Wouldn’t you if you were me, and you knew what I knew? The little bit of pain was worth it for such a long and interesting life. Yes, I miss the past life of old, but the new life wasn’t all bad. All the changes were not bad. We cannot change the march of the planet no matter how hard we try. It has its own destiny that the Great Spirit controls. But I cheated destiny-- the natural order. That is my failing. Now I must pay,” he says.
“How did you know what our venom was doing to you? I ask.
“I was very young. About eight years of age. There was a sickness in our people. Those that got sick died very quickly, many died. I also got the sickness. The chief asked my parents to take me deep out to the woods and leave me there for the good of the tribe. They did. My mother wanted it to be a quick death instead, but my father could not strike the blow. Instead, they put me in the river close to the high falls where I would crash my head into the rocks below. It would be quick and would not be by my father’s hand, but the Great Spirit’s. I did go over the falls, but I must have missed the rocks. I really don’t know.
When I awoke, I awoke to a vampire. A young male was feeding on me. I could feel my blood leaving my body. I could hear the sound of him swallowing. When he was done he left me there. He turned to look at me and I saw his eyes and my blood on his mouth. He disappeared in the forest in what seemed to be an instant. I felt my neck and there was some blood on my hand. I washed my hand and my neck and then I felt my neck again and there was no more blood.
I went back to the village. They could see I was not sick, so they let me stay as I must have great medicine. My parents were very happy. They were treated well after my return. Then the blind sickness came. First colors left me. I sought out the vampires, and they always found me.
Then all I could see were shadows, and then the darkness. Your medicine did not help my blindness. Then I learned to see in different ways. I could still hear the river whisper or roar. I could still hear all the animals. I could still touch whatever I wanted. I’ve had seven wives and many children. But they all are long dead. I wanted to go be with them. But I was afraid of the Great Spirit’s wrath. What would my punishment be for cheating him for so long? So I kept on with the vampires. Now I am tired of cheating him,” he tells me.
“Do you think vampires and humans will ever share the same planet? I mean… openly-- that humans know about us and we work something out like your people did with the vampires once?” I ask him.
He had lived so long and lived through so much I wanted to know his thoughts.
“No. There are dangerous tendencies on both sides. Such a thing would lead to something dangerous. I think it’s best the way it is,” he says.
Our conversation was way deep and I stayed too long. I really have to get to school.
“I have to go to school. Thank you for sharing everything. I’ll come back soon,” I say. “We have lots more to talk about. I want to know more about your many lives.”
“No Luna. Tonight I walk with the ancestors in the forest in the sky. I will fly to them with my eagle wings. I welcome it now. I am ready to face the Great Spirit. I am glad you picked today to come see me. There is no one else I would have rather spent my last day with. I am glad we spent time together. I will wait for you,” he tells me.
“You’re dying?” No… he can’t be dying. There is so much more to talk about. He’s my only human friend.
“Yes Luna.” He stands up with his pipe. He unties the feather and holds it out for me.
“This was my first feather given to me by my father when I was born. He got it from a nest atop one of the giant redwoods. It is of the Red Hawk eagle. I give it to you now,” he says.
“I can’t take it.” I tell him.
I don’t want to take it. I want him to live.
“I’ll bite you. My venom is strong,” I say as my heart is exploding in my chest.
“It won’t do any good and I don’t want it,” he says to me firmly.
He offers me the feather again.
“I will be offended if you do not take it. I do not want it falling into the hands of my great, great, great grandson. It has no meaning for him. He is not worthy of it. Plus, it is mine to give.”
I reluctantly take the feather from him and he let the length of it run between his palm and fingers before it slips away fully into my grasp.
“I will remember you by this,” I tell him. And this was the complete total truth. I will remember him.
I don’t know why but I kiss his time-etched wrinkled face. The lines in his face are as old and the creases as deep as the bark of the redwoods.
“First kiss I ever got from a vampire,” he says with a smile. “Go to school now.”
His
